Trump wants deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine by Aug 8, US tells UN
US President Donald Trump has threatened Russia with tariffs and other measures if Moscow fails to show progress towards ending its war in Ukraine.
UNITED NATIONS, United States - US President Donald Trump has made clear that he wants a deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine by Aug 8, the United States told the United Nations Security Council on July 31.
'Both Russia and Ukraine must negotiate a ceasefire and durable peace. It is time to make a deal. President Trump has made clear this must be done by Aug 8. The United States is prepared to implement additional measures to secure peace,' senior US diplomat John Kelley told the 15-member council.
Mr Trump said on July 29 that the United States would
start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia '10 days from today' if Moscow showed no progress towards ending its war in Ukraine.
Kyiv and Moscow have held three rounds of talks in Istanbul this year that yielded exchanges of prisoners and bodies, but no breakthrough to defuse the more than three-year conflict.
'We intend to continue the negotiations in Istanbul,' Russia's deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told the council, but he added: 'Despite the meetings in Istanbul, in the West, the war party did not go away... We continue hearing voices of those who think that diplomacy is just a way of criticising Russia and exerting pressure on it.'
Ukraine's deputy UN Ambassador, Ms Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, said Russia must be confronted with 'unity, resolve and action.'
'We seek a comprehensive, just and lasting peace grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and nothing less. We repeat - a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire is essential. It is the first step to halting Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine,' she told the council. REUTERS
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